History

Background:
I previously have held faculty positions at Georgia State University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Michigan State University, and Illinois Institute of Technology.

Interests

Research:
My research examines family relationships and their role in child development and the adjustment of individuals throughout the lifespan. The theoretical foundation for this work draws from family systems theory, cognitive/behavioral principles, and lifespan development theory. The goal is to provide an empirical foundation for interventions and policy decisions to improve both family and individual functioning.

In addition to investigating normative family processes, the research examines how families are affected by non-normative experiences, including raising a child with intellectual disability, coping with racial issues, and coping with the mental illness of an adult family member. In studying families as interpersonal systems, the subsystems are the relevant units of analysis, and traditional distinctions between endogenous and exogenous causation are obscured. I study systems using both observational methods and self-report instruments, and I evaluate influences using longitudinal as well as cross-sectional research designs.

My recent research has focused on three large-scale longitudinal projects. Two of the projects, both examining families and the development of children with intellectual disabilities, have completed data collection and I expect to continue publishing the findings for several more years. The third project, a collaboration with Drs. Mailick and Greenberg at the University of Wisconsin, is a study of the life course impacts on adults who have had non-normative parenting experiences. We use data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to examine parents of children with developmental disabilities or mental illness, as well as bereaved parents who experienced the death of a child.

Instruction

Teaching:
I teach graduate courses in Clinical Psychology, including Introduction to Clinical Psychology, and Child Psychopathology.

Advising:
I advise graduate and undergraduate students completing research in developmental disabilities, and in family relationships.